Definition of grace period
:a period of time beyond a due date during which a financial obligation may be met without penalty or cancellation
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grace period
noun
Updated on: 13 Oct 2017
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Examples of grace period in a Sentence
The terms of the loan allow for a ten-day grace period.
First Known Use of grace period
1907
Financial Definition of GRACE PERIOD
grace period
What It Is
A grace period is a period of time, usually about 10 days, during which a past due amount can be paid with little or no penalty.
How It Works
Let's assume your credit card payment is due on December 15. You forget to make the payment. On December 20, you remember. By then, though, it's too late. Your bill is past due.
However, if your account has a grace period, you can make the payment and the creditor might not assess a late fee or other penalty.
Why It Matters
Past-due bills often incur late fees, higher interest rates, penalties and other charges. Worst of all, the creditor might report the late payment to the credit reporting agencies, leaving a black mark on your credit rating (and even lowering your credit rating). In some cases, a bill get so past due (say, 90 or 180 days), that the creditor considers the account in default and may charge off the balance. A grace period gives customers a chance to catch up quickly before it's too late. After that point, the lender might assign or sell the account to a collection agency, which will try to collect the balance.
Source: Investing Answers
GRACE PERIOD Defined for English Language Learners
grace period
noun
Definition of grace period for English Language Learners
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: an amount of extra time that someone is given to pay a bill, finish a project, etc.
Law Dictionary
grace period
noun
grace pe·ri·od
legal Definition of grace period
:a period of time beyond a scheduled date during which a required action (as payment of an obligation) may be taken without incurring the ordinarily resulting adverse consequences (as penalty or cancellation): as
a
:a period of 30 days or one month during which premiums on insurance policies may be paid without penalty
b
:a period of ten days during which certain security interests (as those in fixtures) must be perfected in order to have priority over conflicting security interests under Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code — called also
days of grace
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